Visual Studio has provided in-box support for building C++ Android and iOS apps or libraries since VS 2015, enabling cross-platform C++ mobile development with full editing and debugging capabilities all in one single IDE.
Just recently, we updated the tools to make it easier for you to work with newer versions of the Android platform. This includes built-in support for Android SDK API level 25 that was shipped in VS 2017 Version 15.5 and support for Android NDK R15C that just went out last week in the first preview of VS 2017 Version 15.6. You can either download the Preview, or, if you already have it installed, click on the notification you’ll receive in the product informing you that the update is available.
In the VS Installer, you will find “Android NDK (R15C)” and “Android SDK setup (API level 25)” as recommended components that are included in the “Mobile development with C++” workload.
Tell us what you’d like to see next in the VS C++ Android tools
We are continuing to work on supporting the latest Android platform. If there’s something that you’d like to see us working on next in the VS C++ Android tools, feel free to leave comments below. You can also find us on Twitter (@VisualC). We look forward to hearing from you!